Copies of some of this text is below the break. Future historians will thank me.

New faculty 2009–2010:

Bernard Moore

W. Ford Schumann ‘50 Visiting Assistant Professor in Democratic Studies
Recently completed PhD in Political Science at Howard University and earned a Master of Arts in American Politics from Claremont Graduate University. My research and interests includes Black Politics, Congressional Leadership and judicial politics. My doctoral dissertation “America’s Race to Incarcerate: Locking Up Communities of Color.” This past year at Williams College, as a visiting lecturer I taught: Race in the Criminal Justice, American Democracy, Constitutional Law, Judicial Politics and Black Politics. For the academic year 2009-10 my teaching will focus on Black Leadership in the Fall, the Federal Bench during Winter and Congressional Leadership in the Spring.

Worked as a senior policy advisor for several years experience in legislative affairs, I am recognized as an authority on Congress as well the federal judiciary and related complex reentry (ex-offenders) issues. As both Fellow/Policy Advisor to Congressman Danny K. Davis and members of the Congressional Black Caucus on related criminal justice and ex-offenders issues. Have been engaged daily in the inner-workings of the legislative process working Rep. James Clyburn, Majority Whip, Rep. Danny K. Davis, and several other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, I spearheaded, wrote, and progressed the Second Chance Act of 2007 through the U.S. Senate and the recent signing into law by the President. I gained 92 bipartisan co-sponsors of H.R. 1593 and 265 votes in the House as a result of my creative ability that refocused discussion on prison reentry issues to concerns for public safety. Recently, hosted Rethinking Federal Sentencing Policy, 25th Anniversary of the Sentencing Reform Act with the Congressional Black Caucus Community Re-Investment Taskforce co-hosted with Harvard Law School on Capitol Hill and collaborate with both the Hon. Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Eric Holder, Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice and members of the Congressional Black Caucus focused on repealing mandatory minimums and disparity between crack & powder cocaine.

My favorite extracurricular activities are cycling, mentoring students with an interest in legislative affairs, and photography.

Research interests
More blacks and Latinos were elected to Congress in 2004 than in any previous election, making the 109th Congress the most diverse in the history of the United States. But discovering exactly how such increased diversity affects policy outcomes seems to be evasive to scholars and political analysts. Accordingly, efforts to understand how to provide marginalized constituencies with equitable political representation remains a fertile area for democratic scholarship. At the same time, it is important to take into account that what is often overlooked in this discussion may be the valuable contributions of minority Members of Congress to the issue-namely, their impact on discussions and debates as it relates to their races and ethnicities.

Broadly speaking, I seek to understand more fully the impact of diversity on America political deliberations and discussions. My current projects focus on legislative development within the United States Congress; however, I plan to expand my research to other political institutions, which is to say city councils and state legislatures in order to learn more and to better understand the issue.

At present, I am examining the possible link between racial diversity in Congress and expanded political deliberations. For example, does the presence of black legislators in Congress allow for more diverse political dialogue? I am considering this and other relevant questions, utilizing information gleaned from interviews with representatives and various other congressional staff. I also am analyzing data collected from congressional documents and transcripts.

This project will contribute positively and actively to the larger discussion of the value of descriptive representation to democratic ideals. If black Members of Congress give voice to the concerns of politically marginalized groups, then Congress itself becomes a more fully representative and democratic institution for all peoples in America.